Asparagus trimmer



July 5, 1932.

ASPARAGUS TRIMMER Filed April 14, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Thomas GILLL Q .mm

ATTORNEY y 5 11 3 T. GILL 1,866,027

ASPARAGUS TRIMMER Filed April 14. 1951 5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR Thom 6Z8 Gill BY Q .mjb-xfl A'FI'ORNEY July 5, 1932. T. GILL 1,866,027

ASPARAGUS TRIMMER Filed April 14, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet; 5

INVENTOR Thomas Gill Patented July 5, 1932 1 THOMAS; cannon .inRsnY; cnmr onnm esrenaeus rammnnf Application filed' April 14, 1931. Serial No. 529,923.

This invention relates to! machines. for trimming the buttsf'roin'asparagusstalks as cut in the field; so that the-stalks: when -shipped will allbe the-same length; and par Li'ti'cularly represents improvements over my- Patent No. 1,804,928

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a machine for the purpose 1which is entirely automatic in its: operation placed on the machine until the'cuttingope erations are completed: In other words, I do away with the manual clamping of the asparagus while it isbeingcut, and: the manual manipulation ofthe cutting element along the container, as-was necessary in connection with the operation of the previous device. Trimming operations are therefore. speeded.

. 7 up and simplified. These objects the following specificatlo-n and claims.

In the drawings'similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, of the complete machine as in operation.

Fig. 2 is a front end view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal see tion showing the contacting of the preSSer pads with the asparagus in a container;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the presselt structure.

1 Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the special form of asparagus container used in connection with. the machine. Fig. 6is a'perspective view of one of the presse-r pads;

Refering now more. particularly to th characters'of reference on the drawings, 1

denotes the frame of the machine which supports transversely spacedgrooved, rail. units 2 which extend from, end to endofthe frame and somewhat beyond the same. The rails slidably support the container 3.1 'lhis container is open on one' side and thetop and is provided with a Vertical partition centrally two compartments of equalsize. Longitudifrom the time'the asparagus containers are I accomplish by means of: such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a'perusal of:

between its ends so that eachc ontainerhas nally extending cleats 5 onthe bottom of the container engage the grooves of the rails soastoguide the container during'its-vmovement along the rails. V i

Projecting between the rail units and on,

the same level. is-the. upper run of an end-. less chain. 6. This chain is mounted on, sprocket wheels 7 disposed adjacent the ends of the frame 1, one sprocket being driven-at a reduced speed from, an electric motor 8 053 which is. suitably mounted on the frame 1 to one side of the: rails. Transversely extend-.75

ing cleats 9 project outwardly from the chain at. definitely spaced intervals.

Mounted on the framel between its ends; and above the rails is another electric motor- This. motor is. directly connected to a circular cutter 11 which is positioned so; as: K to lie close to the open side of and parallel-to the container when the. latter is supported 7" on the rails. 'In operation the container is: loaded in. the field so that thegbutts, of; the. stalks project from the open side, The con- I tainer is then placed. on the front end of the rails and is shovedalong by hand u til w its rear end is beyond the forward end of theupper run of the chain. Then with; the movement of the chain one of the cleats 9' engages the back end of the container and pushes the same forward and past the cutter, 8&- until the container clears the cutter and disengaged from thecleat by the turning of the chain down about the rear sprocket. With this movement of the container, the pro= ject-i-ng butt; ends of the stalks are cut offcby the rapidly revolving cutter and are des posited in a waste hopper 12 mounted below the rails. 7 To hold theasparag s stalksfirm y lamped against movement while being cut, I prQvide the following structure: Disposed above the container in transverse central alinement' therewith is another endless chain 141.; This chain is mounted onend sprocket wheels 15; one of which is connected in driving relation with the driving sprocket of the chain 6 so'as to travel at the same speed. I I Besides the end sprocket 15, additional idler sprockets 16 engage the lower run of the chainl4. These sprockets 16-are dise l 5 angle to a horizontal plane.

Mounted in connection with andproj ecting outward from the chain 1,4 are the presser pad units. Each unit. consists of two separate pads 17, the length'and width of which are about the same as the length and width of one of the compartments of the container, while the pads of a unit are spaced apart sufliciently so that they will fit in the" two compartments and avoid; the central parti-. tion. Each pad is provided at the sides with ears 18 which form the supporters for a cross bar '19 swivellyengaging the same. One link on the chain-14 is rigidly secured to the cross.

bar centrally between its ends as shown in Fig. 6.- Towards its ends longitudinally extending rails 20 are rigidly secured to the. cross bar and are about the same length as the pad. These rails, when the correspondingportion of the chain is disposed in the horizontal portion of the lower run,- are engaged by'longitudinal spaced rollers 21, mounted between horizontal supporters 22 suitably carried by the frame 1.

The lower run of the chain 14- is positioned at such-a height from the rails 2 that the presser pads will depend into the container at short distance, as shown in- Fig. 3. The pads are notched at their ends as at 22 so as to'avoid the rails 20 and the chain 14: so that said padsmay set nearly horizontally even when the chain andrails are disposed on the slope between the sprockets 16 and 15." In

this manner, with the advancing movement of the container and chain 14 at the same speed, the pads will project into the container compartments successively and with no interference. The pads areplaced on the chain 141 in such coordinate relation to the cleats 9 on the-chain 6 that the containerwill be in the proper location to receive the pads as the latter-come down and pass about the forward sprocket 16, asindicated in Fig. 3. The forward sprocket 16 is set relative to properly engaged with the container and with the asparagus therein before the cutting action starts; and'the rear sprocket 16 is positioned so that the pads will notleave the container until'the "cutting action has been completed. The container however is still engaged by its cleat 9 for some little time after the pads have left the container, or until the container has been pushed on to the rear-portion of therails 2 so that it may be thentaken ofl by hand without possible inter ference with any of the moving parts of the machine; I I

7 31 ,From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a the .cutting disc so that the pads will be device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein,

WVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the; appended claims.

I Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An asparagus trimming machine for use in connection with an asparagus holding container fromone side of which the butt ends of the asparagus stalks initially project, said machine Eincluding horizontal supporting rails for the container, power means formoving the container along the rails, and a driven 1 in connection with an asparagus holding container from one side of which the butt ends of the asparagus stalksinitially project, said machine including a horizontal support for the container, a driven chain having a run extending lengthwise of ;the support, cleats on the chain at intervals to engage the containerand advance the same along the support,-ano-ther endless chain above the support andthe plane of the container, pads supported by and projecting outwardly from the second named chain to enter the container fromthe top and press down the asparagus therein, means to drive both chains at the same speed, the pads and cleats being positioned so that the pads on the lower run of the chain are always disposed in longitudinal alinement with successively advanced containers, wheels engaging the padschain so that its lower run comprises a central horizontal portion and upwardly sloping end portions; and a cutting element mounted on the machine in position to cut the butts from the asparagus in a container as the latter is moving in the zone of'the horizontal portion of the lower run of the pad chain.

.4. A structure as in claim 3 in which the padsare'swivelly connected to their chain in a manner to enable them to remain substantially horizontal as the adjacent portion of the supporting chain is disposed on the slope.

5. structure as in claim 3 in which the pads are swivelly connected to their chain in a mannerto enable them toremain substantially horizontal as the adjacentportion of the supporting chain isvdisposed on the slope, and means holding the pads against swivel movement while the pads are engaged with the container.

6. An asparagus trimming machine for use in connection with an asparagus holding container from one side of which the buttends of the asparagus stalks initially project, said machine including means to support the container, means to advance the container along the support, means for cutting ofi' the projecting butts of the stalks while the container is thus advancing, an endless driven element extending above and lengthwise of the support, said element having a lower run consisting of a central horizontal portion and upwardly sloping end portions, presser pads swivelly mounted on and depending from the lower end of the element and spaced to enter the successive containers being advanced; the cutting element being disposed in a longitudinal plane intermediate the ends of the horizontal portion of said lower element.

7. An asparagus trimming machine for use in connection with an asparagus holding container from one side of which the butt ends of the asparagus stalks initially project, said machine including means to support the container, means to advance the container along the support, means for cutting off the projecting butts of the stalks while the container is thus advancing, an endless driven element extending above and lengthwise of the support, said element having a lowerrun consisting of a central horizontal portion and upwardly sloping end portions, presser pads swivelly mounted on and depending from the lower end of the element and spaced to enter the successive containers being advanced; and means acting on the pads to hold them against swivel movement while they are in the containers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

THOMAS GILL. 

